


Oceans Apart

by ghostgirl19



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Marichat, May or may not have been a little inspired by The Princess Bride, Princess/Pirate AU, Romance, Written As A Birthday Present, adrienette - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 18:45:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13417347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostgirl19/pseuds/ghostgirl19
Summary: Princess Marinette is sailing to her wedding, only to wind up getting her ship captured by the notorious pirate Chat Noir. And rumor is that he doesn't take prisoners...Written as a birthday present for Tumblr user chatartistx!





	Oceans Apart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chatartistx](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=chatartistx).



“Don’t worry, Marinette.” Tikki gave the Princess’s hands a brief, yet reassuring squeeze. “I promise you that we’ll find a way to escape.”

Marinette softly laughed as she looked around the tiny sleeping quarters. Wooden floor and walls, a small bed, a porcelain basin in which to wash herself, and a dresser. It was vastly different than the luxurious lifestyle she led back at the palace, but at least it was separated from the rest of the abhorrent crew.

“I appreciate it, Tikki, but I highly doubt we’ll be able to escape anytime soon. We’re surrounded by the ocean; the only way to escape would mean jumping off the ship and subsequently drowning.”

The redheaded maid’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, the smile she wore before now a lopsided frown.

“I’m truly sorry we couldn’t better protect you, Marinette. We failed you and all of our kingdom.”

Marinette shook her head, a corner of her lips quirking up in an effort to dispel Tikki’s woes. “No, you didn’t. We were just taken by surprise; that was it. It’s not your fault.”

“I probably could’ve suggested a better hiding place than the closet, though,” Tikki continued shamefully, her blue eyes beginning to fill with unshed tears. Helping and keeping Marinette safe was her top priority, and now because of her, the Princess had been kidnapped.

“It wasn’t as if there was anywhere else to go,” Marinette said, still trying to reassure her that she did nothing wrong. “His men were everywhere on our ship. I would’ve been caught sooner or later.”

Tikki sniffled, and finally showed a small smile.

“You’re too sweet, Marinette. Surely Chat Noir won’t harm someone as kind as you.”

Marinette faltered, before masking her doubt by nodding her head in agreement.

A part of her couldn’t, even now, scarcely believe all that has happened within the span of an hour. She had been on her parents’ vessel, bound for her betrothed’s kingdom for their wedding, and with it they would unite their two kingdoms. Prince Ditlev was older than her by ten years, but at least he was a gentleman and honorable. She held no romantic feelings for him, yet she could see herself getting along with him for the rest of their lives.

And that was more than what she could say for many princesses involved in arranged marriages.

It was only a day into the journey that her ship was attacked. _The Cataclysm_ was simply too fast to possibly outrun, and so her guards had no choice but to prepare for battle. They expected cannons to be fired from the opposing ship, since Chat Noir was known to be one of the most ruthless pirates, yet they never came.

Instead, he had his crew boarded her vessel and fought with her guards while she hid in her private quarters, per Tikki’s frantic pleading. As she kept still in the dark closet, she listened as the sounds of fighting were loud and vicious, until they lessened and were completely gone.

She remembered feeling immense guilt for her guards’ likely gruesome deaths. She remembered how she didn’t even have long to mourn them, due to the door to her quarters being broken down.

Tikki’s stuttered refusals to tell where Marinette was didn’t help any matters. In fact, her hiding place was the first area that was checked.

She recalled how her stomach had dropped when she first laid eyes on who revealed her. Clad in a black coat with gold buttons, with an equally black hat and mask, she knew that it was the Captain himself who discovered her.

She had to admit that he was different from what she was expecting. She pictured Chat Noir to be an older, ghastly brute with a beard and a near-toothless leer that promised horrifying things she couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Instead, what she got was a younger, clean-shaven man, who had all of his teeth with each one being straight and white like snow. His hair wasn’t scraggly nor greasy, but a thick, clearly well-taken care of blond that stopped at the base of his neck. His eyes were green and piercing (yet oddly familiar) as they seemed to stare into her very soul in that moment.

If he wasn’t a pirate, she might have thought him to be handsome.

She remembered that for what felt like years, he didn’t say anything. He merely stared at her in apparent amazement or awe, like he couldn’t really believe what was right in front of him.

He snapped out of it soon enough. With a roguish grin, he held out a black-gloved hand to her.

“I’m afraid there’s been a change of plans. Allow me to escort you to your new vessel, _Princess_.”

She didn’t want to remember that the way he practically _purred_ her title temporarily weakened her knees.

…

She later came to find out that he didn’t kill her guards at all, not a single one. Sure, they were roughed up, but other than that they were completely fine. Chat Noir surprised her by taking all the guards as prisoners instead of simply killing them.

For a pirate who supposedly never took prisoners, he didn’t seem to mind doing it then.

Meanwhile, Marinette and Tikki were taken below deck of _The Cataclysm_ to a separate guest room. The one who escorted them (Nino, as Marinette heard come out of Chat Noir’s mouth) informed them that this would be their room for an indefinite amount of time. Without another word he closed the door, and caused Marinette and Tikki’s hopes to crumble when they heard the unmistakable click of the door locking them inside.

Tikki’s sudden sniffle was enough to bring the Princess back to the present. Her eyes cast a concerned look upon the maid who was obviously trying not to burst into tears.

“Tikki, what’s the matter?” Marinette softly asked in worry. It was only a few moments ago that she was smiling!

However, the maid only shook her head. She didn’t have the heart to tell Marinette that never before had she heard of Chat Noir taking a hostage, thus she had no idea of how they were going to be treated. All of the pirates she heard of were horrid, unfeeling, and merciless. What if Chat Noir decided to just take advantage of the Princess and kill her afterwards?

She couldn’t put that fear into Marinette’s heart. And so she resigned herself to just shaking her head and replying that nothing was wrong. She was just worried, which wasn’t a complete lie.

Marinette sighed with a smile as she gave Tikki’s hands another comforting squeeze.

“We’ll be fine, Tikki. If there’s no way for us to escape, then I’m sure Prince Ditlev’s armada will rescue us. We’re going to be okay, I promise.”

Tikki picked her head up, a tearful smile making its way across her features. She opened her mouth to answer, but two, brisk knocks on the door prompted her to snap her mouth shut. Both girls whipped their heads toward the source of the noise, where not a minute later a different crewman opened the door.

He was kind of short, around Tikki’s height but a bit taller. However, unlike her, his hair was coal black and his eyes were a sharp, bright green. His skin was also tanned and when he grinned, a row of white teeth was exposed.

“The Captain has invited you to have dinner with him,” he drawled, almost sounding bored. His eyes shifted to Tikki and he winked, eliciting a flustered blush from the maid. “I’m Plagg, first mate. What’s your name, beautiful?”

“None of your business, pirate,” Marinette hissed, stepping in front of Tikki who was too stunned to speak, not to mention the maid was trying to calm her racing heart while trying to figure out why it was even doing that in the first place.

Marinette’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her glare unwavering as she looked at the unaffected pirate in the eyes. “And I refuse to have dinner with him.”

Plagg tore his gaze away from Tikki to roll his eyes.

“I know it’s not the fine dining that you’re used to, _Princess,_ but you have to go. Captain’s orders.”

Marinette crossed her arms and turned away, letting out an indignant ‘hmph’ of disapproval with her chin held high in the air.

“I don’t care how the food is, I just won’t tolerate being in his presence. I’m going to stay here, away from _him_.”

Plagg groaned, the thought of putting forth more energy in order to get the girl moving already making him agitated.

“I’m not going to say this again,” he said, narrowing his eyes in warning. “You either go have dinner with him of your own volition, or I’ll carry you there myself. And trust me, it won’t be a pleasant time for either of us. So why don’t you just do this the easy way so I won’t have to break my back to carry you? Sound good, _Princess_?”

The way he was saying her title with scorn, let alone the threat of manhandling her, was enough to get her blood boiling. Nonetheless, she reluctantly dropped her arms and strode past him, not giving him a parting glance as she went. Starting an argument with someone who took part in her kidnapping wasn’t a wise thing to do, especially when it was with the Captain’s second-in-command. Who knows what they would’ve done to her if she didn’t hold her tongue.

And now, it would seem she was resigned to have dinner with the very pirate who organized her kidnapping in the first place.

At least it was just dinner; she was under no obligation to speak with him. All she had to do was put up with his presence long enough to finish the meal and then she would be reunited with Tikki in their new shared room.

She could do this.

Plagg hurried to catch up to her and walk in front to make sure she went the right way. She refrained from trying to start a conversation; she had no interest in befriending a pirate. Likewise, Plagg didn’t talk to her either. He led the way until finally they came across a wooden door with a golden plate in the middle that read, “Captain”.

“A word of advice,” Plagg suddenly spoke, causing Marinette to slightly flinch in surprise. “Don’t act so high and mighty with him like you did with me. Chat Noir isn’t so tolerant of that kind of disrespect.”

With those ominous words, the first mate turned around and walked away, leaving the Princess staring after him in contemplation. In hindsight, she knew she should heed his warning. However, the impulsive and most often heard part of her refused. Chat Noir kidnapped her, why should she be nice to him?

Upper lip curling up in distaste, for already her stomach was churning at the thought of sitting and having a meal with him, she knocked twice on the door.

Not a moment later she heard a brusque, “come in”. Bracing herself for the worst, she opened the door.

There he was, sitting in front of a little table with another chair across from him, presumably for her. His coat and hat were off, allowing her to see his loosely-fitted black shirt. The table was clearly set for two, with two, silver plates and a single, unlit candle in the middle to separate them. Marinette might have called the setup romantic, if she wasn’t dining with a filthy pirate.

Said pirate peered at her with a wicked smirk, something akin to delight dancing in his eyes as he observed her. He still had that damned mask on, triggering a thought of what he might look like without it. Then she reminded herself that she didn’t care; he kidnapped her and she was his prisoner. That’s all that she had to care about.

With that mindset, she tilted her chin up and calmly walked to her chair, not bothering to give him a second glance as she went. When she came up to the chair, she simply pulled it out, smoothed her dress’s skirt, and sat down with her hands folded in her lap. Her eyes stayed attached to the candle, not quite looking down in submission, but not quite staring him in the eyes either.

She was sure the ensuing silence was awkward to bear, at least for him, anyway. She was hardly affected; she was going to sit here without opening her mouth for the duration of this insipid dinner.

At last, he cleared his throat. Marinette didn’t waste any energy in looking up.

“Do you like your room?”

Marinette continued to stare at the candle, not giving any indication of answering.

When he next spoke, she could practically hear the smile in his voice. Sick bastard.

“I know it’s probably not as comfortable as what you’re used to, but it’s better than sharing a living space with the crewmen, yes?”

Silence. Stone cold silence.

He hummed, short and low in his throat. “So you’re going to give me the silent treatment, huh? What did I do to warrant such a punishment?”

Her hands balled into fists to keep her anger in check. She wouldn’t amuse him by answering the obvious.

He chuckled. “Still so stubborn…” he mused in a whisper, and Marinette almost asked him by what he meant by that. Almost.

Because why did it sound as if they met before? She was positive that she never came across a pirate in all her life.

He leaned forward with a smirk curling his lips. She didn’t budge, refusing to back down.

“But I always found that to be irresistible when it came to you.”

Always? What did that mean? She was dying to demand answers, but her pride wouldn’t allow it.

He leaned back, prompting her shoulders to slightly relax from their tensed state.

“Come on, Princess, at least look at me.”

She supposed she could allow that. But when she did, he blinked in apparent surprise before letting out a laugh that sounded more like a scoff.

“I didn’t know your eyes could be so cold. Is your voice the same way?”

Her lips twitched, desperately fighting against releasing a biting retort that would most surely wind up causing her blood to drip from his sword.

From the way he grinned, she could tell that he knew he was beginning to wear her down. But she would not give in, she was the Crown Princess and very-soon-to-be-named Queen of both her and Prince Ditlev’s kingdoms. She wouldn’t surrender to anyone.

Chat Noir leaned his fist against his cheek, the picture of casualty that she wouldn’t expect a pirate captain to display.

“Not a single word for the man who captured you? And I don’t mean that in the literal sense, Princess.”

Wait a minute. Now just what was _that_ supposed to mean?

Did he just imply…?!

“I am not captured by you!” she spat, her vow to not speak to him completely out the window at this point. She wouldn’t stand for the kind of lie he just told without correcting him. “You invaded my ship and took my crew as your prisoners. You’re holding me as your hostage. You’re delaying my _wedding_! I loathe you!”

Instead of looking the least bit hurt, he was deviously smirking in victory. She wondered what on earth could cause him to be so smug after a verbal lashing, until she realized that she played right into his hands. She was angry with herself for falling for the now-obvious bait, but she was quick to shake off the feeling. What’s done is done, at least now she could give back proper retorts to his questions. Forget Plagg’s advice, she was going to give this man hell for what he did to her.

“So you didn’t suddenly become mute, after all,” he surmised with a laugh. “I’m glad. I love hearing your voice, even with such harsh words on your tongue.”

She sniffed at that and held her chin up, levelling an aggravated glower on him. Her temper flared when he just continued to arrogantly grin at her. Bastard pirate.

“And what’s this about delaying a wedding?” His eyes widened as his head tilted in exaggerated curiosity, and Marinette couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the added drama.

“If you haven’t already heard, I am due to marry Prince Ditlev of Arkmend this Sunday. I would have arrived at his kingdom by tomorrow evening, and then would have had an extra day to prepare for the wedding.”

Her voice was like ice, and when her eyes narrowed further they reminded Chat Noir of two glaciers.

He had forgotten just how frightening she could prove to be.

“But then _you_ came along and ruined everything. Who knows when I’ll be able to marry Prince Ditlev now. Of ‘if’, depending on whether you decide to kill me,” she finished in a quieter tone of voice. For once, a bit of fear slipped past the cool exterior. She realized this and sat up straighter to retain her earlier unaffected countenance.

She was already sick of this dinner and their food wasn’t even there yet. All she wanted was to go back to Tikki and comfort her to the best of her abilities. The poor maid was probably terrified without her there by her side.

Chat Noir cleared his throat, then proceeded to adopt a faux air of deep thought.

“Prince Ditlev,” he mused quietly, staring off toward the ceiling as he pretended to ponder over the name.

Marinette waited with pursed lips and eyes settled into a glare.

“Oh, Prince Ditlev! Yes, I’ve heard of him,” he said at last. His gaze returned to her, smile tight but voice light as he continued to speak. “So, he’s the one you’re marrying, hmm?”

Marinette nodded stiffly. “Yes.”

“But that can’t be right. I thought I heard of your being engaged to another prince?”

Immediately her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Her shoulders slackened, her mouth parted and for the first time since she has looked at him, it wasn’t with any sort of anger. She was gaping at him in pure shock.

Because how on Earth did he know of her previous engagement to Prince Adrien Agreste, sole heir to the Agreste kingdom, and the one she was truly in love with and wished to marry?

She shook her head. Chat Noir couldn’t have known about that. Neither of the two kingdoms had any time to send out the announcement, as the engagement was still very new at the time Adrien had disappeared.

She licked her lips, her eyes trained on her hands clasped on her lap, as she willed herself to keep back the tears that most often fell when she thought about Adrien or when the subject of him was brought up.

…

Marinette could vividly remember the day he showed up to her kingdom. Her parents and his father corresponded with each other, and decided that herself and Adrien would make a well and opportune match. She had no interest in marrying, especially not to someone that was chosen for her. As a result, she had treated him with indifference and made no effort at all to get to know him. Besides, she had met other princes before. They were all conceited and viewed her as a pretty prize to be won, and not as a human being they genuinely cared enough about to properly pursue. She doubted Adrien was any different.

But then he proved her wrong.

One day after breakfast, her parents had not-so-subtly suggested/ordered for her to go for a stroll around the gardens with Adrien. Up until that point, they had never been alone with the other before. Marinette guessed that maybe her parents thought that she would warm up to Adrien without the added pressure of other people watching their every move.

She mused that it had to be quite the funny picture, her appearing miserable walking by his side while he cheerfully chattered away and complimented her palace’s scenery. For the most part she put up with it, nodding here and there and agreeing with the occasional hum.

It wasn’t long before Adrien got the hint that his efforts were in vain. He continued to walk with a frown etched on his lips. A few times she caught him stealing a look at her out of the corner of his eye, to which she would peer back at in curiosity. A corner of his mouth would lift, hopeful for a chance of conversation, but she would squash his hopes every time as she turned stubbornly away.

It stayed like that for a while, until Marinette felt the unmistakable feeling of a raindrop hitting her nose. At once her head tilted toward the sky, not having noticed that it had begun to turn gray since she and Adrien had started their walk.

Adrien looked up as well, and that was about the time the sky opened up.

Immediately the visiting Prince had ushered her to shelter inside a nearby gazebo, shielding her from the downpour with his jacket the entire time. As she rushed as best she could in her dress and shoes, she couldn’t help but be in awe over the kind gesture. While he was getting drenched and could possibly get sick afterward, he ignored it in favor of protecting her from the rain and making sure she stayed dry.

He could’ve used his jacket to only cover himself, yet he used it to shield the girl who had been nothing but rude to him since his arrival.

Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t so bad after all.

Marinette waited until they were each settled on the little bench inside the gazebo until she spoke. In the meantime, Adrien placed his soaked jacket beside him then combed his fingers through his hair, trying to get back the perfect style he earlier had.

Ever since he came to her kingdom, the way she addressed him wasn’t in concealed hostility. This time, it was warm.

_“Pleasant weather we’re having, isn’t it?”_

She remembered how Adrien had simply blinked at her, face blank as he undoubtedly was trying to comprehend her actually being nice to him and trying to start a conversation.

Unknown to her however, his heart had soared at the realization that this could very well be the chance he was seeking since he first saw her.

_“I don’t know,” he replied with an easy chuckle. “It’s a little too dry for me, I think.”_

From there, their relationship only progressed. What began as Marinette hating Adrien and doing anything she could to not interact with him, eventually turned into her going out of her way to scheme more ways to be alone with him and talk to him more. Adrien fully encouraged her in her efforts, sometimes even initiating surprise meetings himself by finding her and tugging her into another room away from any chaperones.

Of course, she had apologized to him for misjudging him in the first place. Adrien, the kind soul he was, assured her it was alright and that he could understand her apprehension of him. On the other hand, he did advise her to not judge someone before getting to know them.

Marinette and Adrien soon grew from friends to lovers. Her parents noticed the amicable change in the air between them, and couldn’t have been happier.

No one could have been happier than Marinette, though. Adrien was everything she could ever want in a suitor. He was nice, polite, chivalrous, romantic, and had a good sense of humor, even though she always rolled her eyes and pretended to not appreciate his puns.

The courtship lasted for another blissful five months before Adrien proposed. It came as no surprise to anyone that she accepted, except Adrien himself, who admitted to her afterward that he was a little nervous that she would refuse him, despite his knowing that she returned his love in full ardor.

Adrien left two days later to return to his own kingdom to tell the news to his father in person. Marinette wasn’t worried at all; Adrien travelled back and forth between her kingdom and his all the time during the courtship.

It was when he neither wrote nor visited her again for a week.

She tried not to dwell over the lack of word from him. Maybe he was busy with wedding preparations or with other royal tasks. She was getting worked up over nothing.

Three days later she received the confirmation from King Gabriel himself: Adrien was missing.

No one knew what happened to him. No one knew if he was dead, kidnapped, or if he merely abandoned his birthright and ran away. It was like he vanished into thin air.

Marinette remembered how the room swayed as she read the letter notifying her parents of his disappearance. Luckily, she was able to regain her bearings so that she didn’t pass out. She didn’t want to believe it at first, that this was all an elaborate joke that Adrien was playing on her.

Those kinds of thoughts didn’t last long. She knew that Adrien would never play such a cruel joke on her.

As the weeks steadily went by with no word from him, Marinette eventually had to accept that Adrien was well and truly gone. Was he dead? Kidnapped? Or did he decide he didn’t want to be trapped in a marriage with her and ran away? Maybe he never loved her at all; maybe it was all an act to appease their families and at one point he decided he couldn’t take it anymore and abandoned everything?

If it was the last option, it would deeply hurt her. But if he wouldn’t be happy with her, then she wished him happiness with whomever he chose.

It still didn’t mean that she wasn’t heartbroken by his loss alone. She doubted she would ever be able to love again.

…

Marinette blinked the memories away, forcing her eyes up to look to Chat Noir who was waiting patiently for her answer. She lifted her chin in practiced indifference; perhaps if she acted haughty enough she could forget about the tears threatening to spill.

“You’re mistaken, Captain. I was never engaged to someone else.”

The denial sent a sharp spear of pain to her heart, but she managed to keep up her cool appearance.

Chat Noir scoffed and shook his head, a sardonic smile twisting his lips.

“My, how quickly you forget…” he muttered to himself, causing Marinette to straighten and observe the perplexing pirate in confusion.

She squirmed in her seat, momentarily slipping in her erect posture. This pirate knew more than what he was letting on, if the subtle reference to Adrien was any indication. Which begs the question, how did he know of her previous engagement? Only her parents, King Gabriel, Tikki, her best friend Princess Alya and obviously Adrien knew. She doubted any of the former people would tell her secret, and if Adrien ran away to escape a marriage with her, then why would he tell anyone about it in the first place?

Something just wasn’t adding up. Normally she could figure out complicated problems with ease. But without a clear answer, for the first time in her life she felt helpless.

“So,” Chat Noir suddenly drawled, effectively bringing Marinette out of her thoughts. She blinked at the interruption, to see him lazily regarding a silver spoon as he twirled it in between his fingers. He had long fingers, deft and the observation led to a mental picture of fingers flying over piano keys, much like how Adrien used to play endless songs for her during their time together.

She banished the memory as quickly as it came; she didn’t need to be brought to the brink of crying again.

“This Prince Ditlev,” he continued, and for once Marinette was grateful for the distraction his voice brought. This time, he was eyeing her in what she perceived to be as…caution? Guarded?

He drew his bottom lip between his teeth before finally finishing the question, putting down the spoon in the process.

“Are you in love with him?”

Marinette felt her stiff posture that she tried so hard to maintain slacken with surprise. Why would he ask her that kind of question? Then again, by this point she shouldn’t be too shaken up about it since this pirate has proven to be quite strange already.

She steeled her nerves, desperately trying to keep up the apathetic façade.

“I don’t see how that is any of your business, pirate.”

Chat Noir let out a sharp bark of laughter, briefly startling the Princess who looked at him in mild alarm. What did he exactly find so funny? She hadn’t meant her words to be anything more than an insult.

“Humor me,” he abruptly said, smirking anew as he leaned a fist against his chin. “Do you love him or not?”

Marinette angrily huffed and rolled her eyes. Her feelings regarding Prince Ditlev were none of his business! What right did he have to know?

“It’s a simple question,” Chat Noir goaded when it became apparent that she was still reluctant to answer. “Are you in love with your betrothed? Your Prince Charming?” His voice took on a bitter note toward the end, his grin faltering as his tone hardened. “The man who will give you those two sons and daughter you want?”

Marinette’s mouth dropped so far that if her old governess were there she would’ve smacked her on the hands for displaying such an uncouth expression. However, she could argue that in this case she was entirely justified for her reaction. Because how on Earth did he know that she yearned for two sons and a daughter for her future family? It could’ve been an excellent guess, but still…the sheer coincidence of it…

Unbidden, a memory she had long since stored away came to the forefront of her mind.

…

_“I promise you’ll have everything you could ever want,” he said lowly, lovingly before placing a tender kiss on her waiting lips that were already curled in a soft smile._

_“And what if I don’t want anything materialistic?” she quipped teasingly, giving him a quick peck on the nose in return. She loved these moments, when she could find an empty room and drag Adrien in here with her, to talk about (or do) all sorts of things._

_It just so happened that on this day they were talking about their future as husband and wife._

_“Well, you already have_ me _,” he said, smirking fully in his attempt to sound conceited. “What more could you want?”_

_Marinette laughed, although it died down as the reality of what she was about to ask of him finally hit. Would he not want so many? What if he only wanted one, and that would be good enough for him? Granted, she wouldn’t demand more of him if he did indeed only want one, but she couldn’t deny that she would be a little disappointed._

_Just as Adrien frowned, appearing concerned, her smile was back in place. It may have wobbled a bit from her nervousness, but it managed to stay put as she put on an air of teasing and nonchalance._

_“I’d like to have children. Two boys and a girl: Louis, Hugo, and Emma. I know most kingdoms have one heir, maybe two, but I was hoping for three and if you don’t want that many I’d understand and-”_

_He cut off her rambling with a swift kiss, lingering there while she relaxed into his embrace. When he pulled away, Marinette felt relief as she saw a wide grin on his face._

_“I think that sounds perfect, my Queen.”_

_…_

Like before, she blinked away the memory. She swallowed and bit her lip, trying not to dwell on the pain of his disappearance. That future with Adrien was gone and she needed to remember that. She had no hope of anything more ever happening with Adrien and she needed to let go of him, say that she loved Ditlev, and let that be the end of it.

Although, why not tell the truth for one last time? Chat Noir was no one of consequence, at least in the world of royalty, rumors, and scandals. He didn’t know anyone to tell in that world at all; if he did he wouldn’t be a pirate.

“No. No, I am not in love with Prince Ditlev.” She paused, taking another breath as the words she has been dying to say ever since the engagement were finally heard. “And I never will be.”

Chat Noir’s shoulders slumped a little bit. That, and from the way the ghost of a smile briefly flickered across his lips, Marinette could tell that he was relieved by her answer. She had no idea why, though. What benefit could he gain from her not loving Ditlev?

He didn’t let the emotion show for very long, however. Soon enough, he was leaning forward with his chin propped up with his fist and grinning deviously at her. She narrowed her eyes in a glare, yet it did nothing to deter the sly expression he wore.

“So you don’t really love him, hmm?”

Marinette gritted her teeth in aggravation. “That’s what I just said, pirate. Or is your hearing as damaged as your sense of morals?”

He outright laughed at that, but not in mockery or scorn like she was expecting. It was a laugh from someone who was genuinely amused about something, and the pleasant sound strangely struck a familiar chord within her. But before she could think over it for too long, he was speaking again, traces of his earlier mirth seeping into his voice as he barely kept himself from laughing all over again.

“You should take more care into what you say, Princess. Your words alone could kill an unsuspecting man.”

“I doubt that, since _you’re_ still alive.”

His smirk widened. Apparently, her harsh comment had little to no effect on him.

“You wish me dead?”

Her cold silence was enough of an answer. He shook his head, chuckling to himself as if there was some joke that she wasn’t privy to.

“Let me ask you this,” he began not long after. That damn smirk was spreading his lips again; his green eyes glinted with the wickedness she was steadily growing more accustomed to. “Did you love your previous betrothed?”

Marinette angrily opened her mouth to refute his question, that she didn’t have another before Ditlev, only to be interrupted by his scoff.

“Don’t deny it, Princess. While you do have many talents, lying isn’t one of them.” He was frowning, no hint of his earlier cheek on his features. “I know all about you and Prince Adrien. So why not just answer my question?”

“Why do you even care?” she hissed, skipping right over the shock of him knowing the truth and delving straight to anger and annoyance. She was beginning to get fed up with this whole ordeal. “How could you possibly benefit from my answer?”

He simply grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m a cat with an insatiable curiosity.”

Marinette scowled, her fists clenching on her lap. Chat Noir raised an eyebrow with that taunting grin still on his lips.

“Well, Princess? What’s your answer?”

“You want to know my answer?!” she snapped, standing to her feet. The chair was knocked over backwards by her sudden movement. Her reaction got its desired effect though; the smirk was wiped clean off his face from shock.

Marinette wasn’t through yet. Oh no, far from it. This pirate was going to get his answers, and then he would stop playing these mind games and infuriating her.

“Well, I’ll tell you. Yes, I was previously engaged to Prince Adrien. And yes, I was in love with him. Madly, passionately, in love. Why, I’d say it was a romance straight from the books!”

Chat Noir remained slightly shocked, the only change in his expression being his mouth partially open.

But she wasn’t finished yet. She grabbed a silver fork from the table and pointed it at him, brandishing it as if she wielded a sword. Chat Noir’s eyes zeroed in on the four sharpened tips with an audible gulp.

“And how do you know about my engagement to him, anyway? It was never officially announced, and I highly doubt the ones who did know would ever tell anyone else, especially since it obviously fell through. So tell me, Chat Noir, how would you know about Prince Adrien?”

A thought came her mind then, a possibility she hadn’t considered before. Suddenly, a new fire of hatred ignited in her eyes, and she jabbed the fork closer to Chat Noir’s face, who reacted to it with another gulp and his eyes widening.

“Did you kidnap him and kill him? Is that how you know? Is that why he disappeared?”

Chat Noir said nothing, probably too shaken with her temper and how fast things were escalating to conceive a proper response.

“That’s why he disappeared, isn’t it?” she concluded darkly. The fork began to tremble in her barely contained fury. Marinette had to mentally restrain herself from diving across the table and stabbing him in the throat with it. To hell with being an innocent princess with grace and decorum, this man probably murdered the love of her life!

“Well? Answer me!”

He blinked once, twice, a third time. Several times his mouth opened, and each time she would tense, awaiting the terrible answer she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life. But then he would close it, and every time her impatience would increase until it threatened to boil over and start yelling at him again.

To her surprise, he calmly stood and began to walk away from her.

“Would you mind if I took a break to play the piano?” he called to her over his shoulder, making her pause and lower her makeshift weapon. “I’ve had quite an exhausting day, what with capturing your ship and all. It helps me to relax.”

Marinette had no idea what to say to that. Was he being serious?

Evidently, it would seem so. He didn’t wait for an answer, and resumed his trek to the glossy, wooden piano off a little ways from the table. He sat down without a word, stretched his arms and hands, and began to play.

Marinette seethed at his blatant refusal to answer her question.

“If you think you can just ignore me and play the piano to get out of this, you’re wrong and-”

The words slowly died on her tongue as her ears started to truly listen to what he was playing. It was a song she hadn’t heard in two years, and as the notes kept in line with the melody in her memory, her fork loosened from her fingers and noisily clattered to the floor.

He kept playing as if hadn’t happened.

Marinette’s breath hitched as a broken sob made its way to her throat, stopped only by her hand clamping over her mouth. All the pieces were clicking together, and all at once it made sense. The questions, how he knew about Adrien, and his knowing of her desire of wanting two little boys and a girl. All the while the saner part of her mind rationalized why the obvious just couldn’t be true, that there was no way _he_ could ever be a pirate, and that out of all the pirates in the world _he_ was the one who captured her ship. Most ironic of all, was that _he_ captured it as she was on her way to her wedding to someone else.

And now he was playing the song he wrote for her as an engagement present, with the vow that only he alone knew it since he composed it, and that no one but her shall ever hear it.

She managed to draw in a few shaky breaths as she gradually walked to him. She didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or just throw her arms around him and hug him, a pleasure she never thought she’d experience ever again.

However, there was still that lingering doubt that it wasn’t true. That this was all either a dream or fate cruelly toying with her.

She sat down next to him on the bench. He didn’t acknowledge her presence, but he had to have realized that she was there and what she was thinking, if this was indeed _him_.

Marinette took a deep breath and spoke the name of whose owner she thought she’d never address again.

“Adrien?”

A corner of his mouth curled up. “Pleasant weather we’re having, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” she hiccupped through a laugh, happy tears trailing down her cheeks as she shook her head at the delightful absurdity of it all. This was really happening, he was here with her and playing her song and speaking with her and-and- “It’s a little too dry for me, I think.”

Another teary laugh escaped her as she finally indulged herself-wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Chat Noir- _Adrien_ -stopped playing to pull her closer to his body. She felt his smile when he bent his head to press a tender kiss to the crown of her hair.

He was just as warm as she remembered, and he held her just as close.

She picked her head up to see his face, and upon seeing the black mask that remained, reached up to untie it. He let it fall to the floor without complaint, presenting her with a beaming smile and gleaming eyes. She had seen this look so many times before, and now that the mask was off, she wondered how she didn’t see him sooner.

Granted, his hair was a little longer now than when she last saw him, but it was still the same golden blond. His eyes were the same vivid green too, even when surrounded by a black mask. It must have been his attitude that mainly threw her off; he acted so unlike his princely self…yet again, at the same time he was a gentleman.

Sure, he teased her a little bit and annoyed her, but not once did he outright disrespect her. She guessed that this was just a little devious side that she never knew Adrien had.

Not that she disliked it. Her earlier irritation aside, she supposed that it was charming in a way.

“Hi, Marinette,” he greeted softly, so full of love and warmth that Marinette knew that he must have missed her as much as she missed him. Her mind immediately started to conjure up multiple questions regarding his disappearance and their eventual reunion, but she could ask those later. For now, she settled by returning his smile and pressing herself to his chest again to listen to his steady heartbeat, something else that proved he was truly here with her.

“You’re alive,” she whispered, smiling and rubbing her cheek against his silken shirt. Instantaneously, she felt his arms tighten around her and his chin rest on top of her head. They had spent countless moments wrapped up in each other like this, back when her life was full of bliss and no worries, but she never fully appreciated the moments until he was gone. She was determined not to make the same mistake again.

“I’m alive, my love,” he confirmed, pressing another kiss on her head. His chest suddenly started to faintly rumble with suppressed laughter. “Does this mean you don’t wish to stab me with a fork anymore?”

At the reminder of her earlier treatment of him, Marinette sat up and gaped at him in horror. Adrien frowned in disappointment at the distance she put between them; in his opinion they were already separated for far too long as it was.

“I almost stabbed you in the throat!” she shrieked, wildly grabbing her hair as she always did whenever she was particularly stressed about something. Or in this case, _mortified_ might be a better word. “I was so rude to you; I treated you like dirt! I’m really sorry, Adrien, I didn’t mean any of it. I swear I didn’t!”

Was he mad at her? It didn’t seem like he was, and he previously called her ‘my love’, therefore he couldn’t be too displeased, right? She would hate herself if after all this time she was finally reunited with him and he ended up rejecting her because of her attitude and temper.

“Oh, you meant it,” Adrien countered through a light laugh, inducing her to look down at the bench they were sitting on in shame. Although small, she had a feeling he would disregard her apology and not forgive her.

“I know you did. But you didn’t know it was me. For all you knew, I was some dastardly pirate who took over your ship and took you as my prisoner. Then when you began to suspect that the very pirate who did those things also killed your past love? I would’ve been angry, too. You have nothing to apologize for, Marinette.”

This prompted her to meet his gaze again. Even though she was relieved that he wasn’t angry with her, something he said still disturbed her.

“’Past love’?” she questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. Why would he refer to himself as that?

“Well,” he said, trailing off with a sheepish smile. He brought his hand up to the back of his neck in a nervous gesture she remembered seeing him do dozens of times.

She recalled with fondness that it was usually the direct result of her teasing him about the love poems she would randomly find on her writing desk during their courting days.

“It’s been two years. I’m not vain enough to believe that you’d still love me after all this time. Care about me? Maybe. But not that you’d feel as strongly for me as you did back then. Besides, I left without a trace and didn’t at least write to you to explain myself. Honestly, I’m surprised you don’t hate me by this point.”

His claim caused her jaw to drop. How in the world could he think that? He thought that just because they hadn’t seen each other for a couple years meant that she had not only fallen out of love with him, but had grown to hate him?

“Hate you? Adrien, none of that matters to me.” She paused, glancing away with a slight grimace. “Okay, well, it does matter to me that you never told me why you left, but I still love you! I thought _you_ hated _me_ ; isn’t that why you disappeared and ended up becoming a pirate? To get out of a marriage with me?”

“No!” he refuted, reaching out to grasp her hands. He gave them a slight squeeze as Marinette looked down at their joined hands before she peered back up to meet his desperate gaze.

“No, that wasn’t the reason at all for why I disappeared. I wanted to tell you, but I thought that you would be safer if you didn’t know the truth.”

“Which is what?” she asked, determined to hear the real reason at last, especially if it concerned her safety. “What happened?”

Adrien heaved a deep sigh, and suddenly he appeared to be saddened by whatever it was that happened. Her curiosity was eating at her now more than ever, but she resolved to stay quiet and allow him to speak.

“My father sent me to your kingdom in the hopes that we would eventually be united in marriage. I didn’t think it was anything unusual, many princes my age at the time were beginning to look for potential brides. Anyway, I arrived at your kingdom, and after… _awhile_ , you gave me a chance.”

He paused to give her a knowing grin, clearly referring to the time in which she disliked him and tried to avoid him at every turn. Marinette’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the reminder as she smiled apologetically and shrugged.

“After our courtship and you accepted my proposal, I returned to my own kingdom to tell my father the news. What I heard him say, well to put it bluntly, it felt like he slipped the rug from beneath my feet and sent me crashing to the floor.”

“What happened?” she asked again, leaning closer with interest. An ominous feeling began to settle in the pit of her stomach. What he was about to say next was likely the reason why he disappeared.

Adrien’s eyes hardened, yet she could tell that his frustration and anger wasn’t directed on her. It was for someone who was likely sitting on a throne at that very moment barking orders to meek servants.

“He said that I was never meant to actually marry you. Instead, I was to marry another princess from a powerful kingdom, and then together we would’ve invaded yours and taken everything. You and your parents would be usurped from your thrones, what would have happened next wasn’t decided upon, and me and that princess would rule as King and Queen over all three now united kingdoms. My entire courtship with you was meant to be a ruse so neither you nor your parents would suspect anything.”

Marinette dropped her hands from his and leaned away. The revelation left her feeling astonished but strangely numb at the same time. The whole time she was with Adrien, King Gabriel was planning on taking over her kingdom?

“So, everything was a lie,” she whispered, her eyes staring blankly in front of her. She felt hollow, like all the breath was taken from her lungs. She hated liars, and now she found out that the person she cared for the most was one of them?

“No!” Adrien exclaimed, grabbing her hands again. Her mouth parted as she took in the wild, desperate look in his eyes.

“No, it wasn’t. Everything was real; I fell in love with you and that is why I disappeared after hearing what my father had planned. I couldn’t normally go against him; I knew that I had to somehow fight without him ever knowing it was me. The next morning after hearing his true plan I escaped with two of my most trusted friends, and with the money I took with me I bought a ship. While wearing a disguise, of course.”

“And that’s how you became a pirate?”

Adrien nodded. “Yes. As a pirate, I was able to go against whatever ship my father sent out. The best part was that he never suspected a thing. I mean, a prince turned fiendish pirate? Who would ever guess?”

He grinned devilishly and threw her a wink of the same manner, and Marinette had to laugh. After all, she claimed to be in love with him and even _she_ never suspected it, even when he was right in front of her!

Adrien chuckled before he continued. “I was able to assemble a crew and together we took on a few ships that my father sent out. I honestly wasn’t surprised that he did that, even though ‘Prince Adrien’ was a key part of the initial plan. Eventually he must have received word about a virtually unknown pirate battling with his ships and winning, because not long after other pirates began to engage with me in fights.”

“You mean this entire time you were protecting us?” she interrupted in astonishment. When she heard the stories of Chat Noir battling with other crews she always assumed he was just being cruel and ruthless.

A corner of his mouth curved up in a lop-sided grin. “Exactly. I wanted to write to you, but I didn’t want to take any risks of my plan failing. It was already reckless and stood a good chance of failing as it was. If my father ended up capturing you anyway, or the other kingdom he was originally in agreement with, you would have been in danger for knowing about me. I thought it was best that you were left in the dark.”

He smiled more broadly, lifting his hand to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes and instinctively leaned into the warm, reassuring touch.

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” he murmured, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Heart picking up in speed, Marinette opened her eyes to meet Adrien’s evergreen ones shining with affection, but also with regret.

“It killed me to just leave without telling you why. I hated that you would probably end up assuming I simply abandoned you because I didn’t want to marry you. I’m sorry, Marinette. I understand if you won’t forgive me.”

She smiled softly, slowly lifting her hands to cup his own cheeks.

“You gave me a courtship most princesses could only dream of from their respective suitors. You defied your father and became a pirate, to protect a kingdom that wasn’t even yours because you loved me. You thought I would hate you, yet protected my kingdom anyway. You never told me your identity because of the possibility of my being in danger because of it. And now you’re asking for my forgiveness?”

His shoulders grew slightly hunched, his lips forming a line in unease. She didn’t understand how he could still be unsure of the answer that she thought was immensely obvious.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Most princes would’ve just followed their father and stole their intended’s kingdom, regardless of their feelings for them. What you did is practically unheard of but incredibly noble.”

She leaned forward to press a kiss to the tip of his nose, almost giggling when she saw him stiffen and his cheeks flush a dark red. Some things never change, she mused.

“Thank you, Adrien,” she spoke reverently, hoping he would see how much she meant the sentiment. “I’m forever in your debt.”

He smiled and responded by letting his forehead connect with hers, the pair closing their eyes at the familiar intimate embrace. For awhile neither of them spoke, content to enjoy the peaceful silence and revel at the fact of finally being reunited. That is, until a question made itself known in Marinette’s mind and try as she might, she couldn’t stay quiet about it any longer.

“Adrien?” she asked, pulling back to properly look at him.

“Hmm?” he hummed, slowly opening in eyes to stare at her in question.

“There were rumors that Chat Noir never took prisoners. Does that mean you…?” She didn’t want to finish the words. She knew it was a stupid question to ask; he was a pirate now, and since becoming one he likely killed plenty of people by now. It was practically a requirement for being a pirate, well, if you wanted to be a pirate and live.

“I’ve killed some people,” he admitted, frowning and staring pointedly away from her in shame. “But it was only when they wouldn’t listen to any of my negotiations at all; they were out for my blood and wouldn’t rest until it dripped from their swords.”

Marinette swallowed. She could accept that; he only did it to protect himself. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be here with her right now.

“The ones who I made deals with, sailed away and haven’t bothered me since. The others who refused? I transported them to a friend. Her kingdom is very small, so she needs all the sailors she could get to help protect it. We were friends when we were younger, and she had nothing to do with my father’s plans so it was very unlikely that he would suspect anything of her.”

“Who is she?” Marinette asked, intrigued about this mystery royal that not only knew of Chat Noir’s true name, but aided him when dealing with the men sent out to help seize her throne.

Adrien smiled widely, perking up in his seat as he spoke the answer. “Queen Kagami. When I was little her family would sometimes visit my kingdom and we would fence together. She’s really nice, I’ll have to take you to meet her some-”

He abruptly stopped, prompting Marinette to furrow her eyebrows in question. Adrien in turn rubbed the back of his neck, once more unable to meet her expectant gaze.

“Or, your betrothed could take you,” he corrected quietly.

The reminder caused Marinette’s eyes to widen and her lips to part. That’s right; she was already engaged. She had forgotten that little detail when Adrien revealed himself. While normally this would spell doom for most lovers, she knew something that Adrien didn’t. And it might just save their relationship.

“Do you really think I’d marry someone else now that I know you’re alive?” she asked with a mischievous smirk.

Adrien for his part gave her a blank stare. “…yes? I mean, I’m sure this ‘Prince Ditlev’ wouldn’t be too happy if you ended the engagement.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Adrien,” she said, secretly loving that now it was _she_ who knew something _he_ didn’t. “You see, Ditlev and I are very fond of each other.”

At that Adrien hung his head in disappointment.

“But!”

And it snapped right back up to look at her in hopeful confusion.

“Our fondness didn’t extend past friendship. We both acknowledged that it was a marriage for secure connections; both of us loved someone else. He’s actually in love with one of the maids in his castle, so I imagine he won’t be too upset when I break off the engagement.”

She was sure the ecstatic smile that Adrien bore in that moment could light every room back in her palace. Without another second to waste he took her back in his arms and hugged her tighter than he ever had, pressing kisses to her hair, murmuring “I love you’s” and other loving words in her ear.

Although she took great pleasure in his reaction, there was a lingering voice of reality whispering in her other ear wondering how this would work out. Reluctantly she pulled away, feeling her heart clench when he frowned and tilted his head.

“There’s just one more thing,” she spoke, her voice grave. “How will a marriage between us work? I’m the only heir to my throne, and while I would love to stay on this ship and be married, I can’t leave my parents and my people.”

It wasn’t fair. After two years of thinking he was dead, she finally had him back and now she had to let him go again?

Instead of the reaction she was expecting, sadness and even frustration, he merely grinned. Marinette, thrown by this, asked him why he was smiling like that. She just basically told him that they could never be together!

“Oh, you won’t be married to a pirate, my love. You’ll be married to a king.”

At her questioning gaze, he elaborated.

“You see, I was on my way to your kingdom to reveal myself and ask your parents for help in overthrowing my father. I think I’ve weakened him to the point where we might stand a chance in besting him.” His grin curled deeper. “Imagine my surprise when I see a vessel bearing _your_ colors on my way there. I couldn’t resist perhaps speeding up the process of revealing myself to you by capturing your ship.”

“If you wanted to ‘speed up the process’ then why didn’t you reveal yourself at once?” she snapped. Now that she thought about it, that entire dinner fiasco could’ve been avoided altogether if he just told her the truth when he initially found her on her vessel.

He shrugged, that infuriating smirk not letting up at all. “I thought it would be fun to tease you a little bit.”

“You-!” she gasped indignantly, giving him a great shove against his chest as he laughed. Even when his butt hit the floor with a thud, he was still laughing and didn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon.

“You-you mangy cat!” she seethed as she joined him on the floor to pound her fist against his chest. “Heinous, deceitful cad!”

With each new insult and fist hurled at him, Adrien only laughed harder. At one point tears began to leak out of his eyes. Marinette eventually gave up and resigned herself to sitting with her back turned to him, arms crossed and stubbornly pouting.

At long last, he calmed down enough to scoot closer to her and properly speak, although it was tinged with breathy laughter.

“Are you really that mad at me?”

She huffed and rotated more so he would be out of her line of sight. If Adrien got the hint that she didn’t want to look at him, he didn’t heed it, instead crawling closer to see her face. That grin that seemed permanently etched onto his face served to make her scowl deepen.

“Come on, bugaboo,” he coaxed, using the old nickname from their courting days. He had given it to her after she disclosed that her favorite insects were ladybugs. She said that she didn’t like it, yet every time he used it she would smile and blush all the same.

Like now.

“I told you not to call me that,” she said, pressing her lips together afterward to hide her laugh.

“But it’s so cute,” he teased, grinning wider when she didn’t turn away from him again.

Marinette rolled her eyes, but didn’t push him away when he chuckled and moved to hold her hands. Gradually, his eyes softened as they flickered between her own eyes and lips.

She knew this look. She had seen it many times before, yet nevertheless her heartbeat picked up its speed as it always did. She wondered how long it would take, if ever, to get over that smoldering look he would give whenever he wanted to kiss her.

Adrien opened his mouth, presumably to ask permission, but Marinette beat him to it.

“Well you _have_ been making me wait for two years. I think I’ve been patient long enough.”

With that, she muffled his surprised cry by pressing her lips against his. It didn’t take him long to respond, in just a few seconds his eyes were shut, and his mouth was melding with hers. It was a slow, warm dance that Marinette didn’t realize how much she truly missed. That thought in mind, she grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt to pull him closer. Adrien didn’t seem to mind, as he delved his tongue into her mouth and swallowed her breathy moan.

Her fingers delved into his hair, sifting through the strands she was very pleased to find that they were just as soft as she remembered. Adrien copied her movements, then detached his mouth from hers to trail heated kisses down her neck.

He must have missed this as much as she did.

A sigh escaped her as she tilted her head back to give him better access. His lips were sensually ghosting over her shoulder when she heard it.

A single knock at the door, followed by a male voice. “Captain! Your dinner is serv- _oh._ ”

Marinette’s head jolted forward at the interruption, her cheeks turning scarlet in mortification. Nino was standing there along with several other crewmen, each holding silver trays filled with food. Each of their jaws were slackened with shock, not one of them able to believe the position they found their Captain in.

That is, until what had obviously been happening before they interrupted settled in, and each of their mouths curled into wicked smirks.

“You want some privacy?” Nino asked with a chuckle.

Marinette groaned and covered her face with her hands. Adrien on the other hand, glared daggers at them all, his eyes narrowed to thin, dangerous slits by the time he got to Nino.

“Get out,” he lowly ordered, the unspoken threat left hanging in the air. They didn’t know what that threat exactly was, but they didn’t want to find out.

Nino cleared his throat. “Yes, well, we’ll just leave this on the table.”

Immediately the crewmen hustled to set the food on the table, mindful of Adrien’s warning glare the entire time. They were so nervous that they didn’t even notice it was the first time they saw the Captain without his infamous mask.

“Uh-feel free to continue. Just act like we never came in,” Nino said before ducking out of the room after the rest of the crewmen.

Marinette removed her hands from her face with an audible sigh, thankful for the privacy again. Although she did sort of mind the implications of Nino’s words before he left.

Adrien winced, noting her obvious embarrassment. “I’m sorry that happened. I should’ve locked the door.”

“Why?” she shot back teasingly, arching an eyebrow. “Did you plan for this to happen?”

“Well,” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with a slight pink tint to his cheeks. “To be honest I was kind of hoping it would?”

Marinette snorted and shook her head. “You really are incorrigible, you know that?”

“Yes,” he replied, gradually smirking. He rested his head against her shoulder and peered up at her. “But you love me anyway.”

“I suppose,” she conceded, using her fingers to scratch under his chin. He preened into her touch, humming contentedly and she couldn’t help but giggle. He couldn’t have chosen a more fitting pirate name.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Marinette removed her fingers from under his chin and stood. Adrien repressed the urge to whine in disappointment from the loss of contact as she held out her hand towards him.

“How about we get started on this dinner before it gets cold?” she asked, a playful twinkle in her eyes. “Since I was supposed to have dinner with ‘the Captain’, after all.”

Adrien took her offered hand with a grin, kissing her knuckles once he stood to his full height.

“It would be an honor, Princess,” he purred, prior to leading her to the table.

Later on, as Marinette sat at one of the more enjoyable dinners she ever experienced, she couldn’t help but wonder what Tikki would think of this new development.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy (late) birthday chatartist! I'm so sorry this was late, but I hope you enjoyed this :)


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